Torn
by xXxSweetPoisonxXx
Summary: This story is being continued at http:www.home.earthlink.nettinkerbell09torn sorry for the inconvinience.


~Disclaimer and Author's Notes~  
  
****I do not own anything in relation to The Lord of the Rings, with the exception of the fanfic part of this storyline and the character Raeolynn. Stealing is prohibited. Reviewers are welcome, flamers will not be tolerated. Constructive criticisms are welcome, but should not discriminate my character, and/or how I portray any characters, be they Tolkien's or my own.  
  
****This is the first LOTR fanfic of mine, though I have many HP ones. I apologize if it sucks, I'm working on it. Eventually I will get better.  
  
****This is a '10th Walker' story with an OC (Original Character)  
  
****I want to know what you think (please be positive) so please review!  
  
****If I do not update for a while, I have probably not cleaned my room, and am in the process of cleaning, and/or am on restriction. Please be patient. I'm a bit lazy.  
  
****If you are looking for a fast, sexy story, go somewhere else. My characters, and those I am using, take it slow, and aren't horny, so don't expect any erotic writing.  
  
****Legolas haters aren't welcome. If you are such a person, may you die of serious complications.(Like lemon zesters for instance...)  
  
****Now let's get on with it, shall we?  
  
Prelude  
  
Many days The Nine had traveled, desiring rest, but being forced to trudge on their weary way. Many nights they had laid in the darkness, craving slumber, and finding none. Many moments they questioned the worth of their effort, but at least here they found an answer. The answer was The Ring.  
  
The One Ring. One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.  
  
Since the beginning of their travels, one of their number had left them. Gandalf the Grey had disappeared from their midst, possibly forever.  
  
The Fellowship had first consisted of nine: Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, Meriodac Brandybuck, Legolas Greenleaf, Gimli, son of Gloin, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and Boromir of Gondor, and of course, Gandalf the wizard.  
  
The first four, Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry were hobbits from the Shire. Tiny little creatures they were, with loose, messy curls that often hung in their faces and large, hairy, shoeless hobbit feet. Frodo himself was most frequently troubled by The Ring, and Sam was just as determined to help his friend. Pippin and Merry were a jolly, mischievous pair that always helped bring up the spirits of the company.  
  
Legolas, the fair-haired Elf Prince of Mirkwood, had a slender build and fair features, as any elf would, though he was particularly well attributed. Though his royal birth had bestowed on him a proud, but not arrogant, air and he dressed simply in the woodland hues that had surrounded him throughout his days. He also carried with him a delicately carved bow, and a quiver of arrows on his back which, in his hands could bring down any opponent with his frightfully accurate aim. Not only was he skilled in this area of defense, but also in his keen elfin senses that were nearly never wrong.  
  
Then came Gimli, a stout dwarf with a bushy red hair and beard covered, on top, by an iron helmet, should any rival share his favored weapon- a large axe, most often carried on his shoulder, for easy access we must assume. Still, his face held an ebullient expression outside of danger, and many a time were his comrades glad that he had joined them on their quest. He could be described as a bit clumsy, but one his size can hardly be accused of being trodden upon on purpose.  
  
Following him was Aragorn, a ranger whose face held a sort of rough, yet handsome appearance. This son of Arathorn was of a long lineage of kings that, though he did not desire the position, bestowed him with a look of stately determination. His clothes were not as gaudy as one might expect of nobility, but still he carried with him a jeweled trinket hung about his neck. He was a fine man, a diligent protector, and a worthy opponent to any.  
  
Boromir, was perhaps, not so fine a man, though some may believe him to be. He was not so striking, nor as regal as his attire might suggest. Still, he was unwavering in his duty to his homeland, Gondor, whatever the cost, and fought with all his might, and defeated many of his enemies.  
  
The purpose of the Fellowship was to return The Ring to the land of Mordor and the fires of Mount Doom, where The Ring was forged, and the only place where it could be destroyed. The evil that had invaded Middle Earth was spreading and the only chance they had was at hand. Prejudices and resentment were cast aside, and the Nine had joined together to save their people and their homeland from being crushed under the forces that were ravaging the country in search of The Ring.  
  
This caused much pressure upon dear Frodo, for he often felt that he was not fit to be part of the journey, and he often times wished he could return to the Shire and live the peaceful life he had always known. But his fate had been decided the day that Bilbo had happened upon the creature Gollum, and found the precious Ring, not knowing its powers, indeed its horrors, for so were they, that they took hold upon their bearer, that they should not be able to desire anything but The Ring. But Frodo and his companions continued to press on, Frodo to destroy The Ring, and the others to aid and guard him in his quest.  
  
They had reached Lothlorien, and were greeted by the hospitality of the Lord Celeborn and his Lady, Galadriel, following a slightly rough meeting with Haldir in the forest. A casual remark on the dwarf's noisy conversation had not been well received by at least one of the party. However, once arrived, they found the place a splendid relief from the wilderness of Middle Earth.  
  
As Legolas stood in front of the Lady Galadriel, he heard a voice in his mind, speaking to him. The voice was hers, but her lips did not move.  
  
The time comes soon when you will be faced with great struggle, Legolas. Not of physical anguish, but of another kind. You must be patient. Your time will come...  
  
He nodded, solemnly, though he did not understand her meaning.  
  
Suddenly a messenger burst into the hall. "A message for Lord Celeborn..." the courier announced. Lord Celeborn nodded for him to proceed. "A group of men have encamped themselves within the forest. We believe that they may pose a threat to us or the Fellowship."  
  
Lord Celeborn furrowed his brow. "We must assault thee issue at once. Would you please join some of my men as an emissary to the camp and determine if they are a threat. If not, bring them to me, if so send one of your number back to bring support, in case there is a need."  
  
They all nodded in accord, and each grabbing his weapon, joined the assembled peoples into the forest. Leading the way, bow and arrow at the ready, Legolas walked noiselessly through the forest. It wasn't hard to find the encampment, the men were loud and had built up a roaring fire that could be seen round about the area. The men were burly and large, their appearance was scraggly and unkempt, and they looked a fierce enemy, each carrying a few large weapons, not to mention the likelihood of several hidden ones. Aragorn sent one of Lord Celeborn's men back to the courts to gather reinforcement, in case of battle.  
  
As they neared, they noticed an exceptionally repulsive man taunting the slim figure of a woman that had been tied with her back to a tree, and she didn't give the appearance of being too pleased with it. Boromir had taken hiding behind a bush situated just so that he could see the beast of a man, without being able to be noticed. He slipped a small knife out of his belt and threw it at the man just as he turned to one of his mates. Luckily, Boromir's aim was not what it might have been, and the man himself did not notice the sound of it. Much to the groups' relief, the knife did not hit the lady, but instead lodged itself in the tree just above her hands. They watched, entranced as the she nimbly reached for it and cut her bonds without the man, who had turned back to her, noticing. (He seemed to be a very dim creature.) She continued to hold her arms around the tree, grasping the knife carefully. Then as he turned one more, she took her chance and sunk the blade into the side of his head.  
  
Chaos ensued, as one might expect. The group from Lothlorien, including the Fellowship immediately began to fight, and even the lady seemed to have produced a quiver of arrow and a bow, with skill nearly as good as Legolas. It didn't take much time to defeat the beasts, though they had many weapons, they greatly lacked proficiency. When the last one laid back to the earth, dead, the Fellowship with the elves of Lorien turned and faced the lady, and found themselves opposite the point of an arrow. Aragorn, who was nearest, asked quickly, "Milady, what do you mean by attacking us?"  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, completely dismissing his question without lowering her weapon.  
  
"We came to defeat your enemies," he said, slightly taken aback.  
  
"You did not answer my question," she said icily.  
  
Aragorn quickly apologized, "I am sorry. We have come from Lothlorien. We are mere watch people, and protectors of the innocent."  
  
The woman lowered her bow slightly. "By what means do you believe me to be innocent? For all you know I could be a dangerous criminal, deserving of fatality. Or perhaps you do and are only trying to put me at ease, if this is the case, I assure you I am not."  
  
Aragorn looked at her in surprise. "Indeed, milady, we do not wish to harm you. On my honor, I do swear..."  
  
"Unless, of course that you have no honor. Why should I trust you?" she asked.  
  
Aragorn seemed to be losing his footing in the conversation. "The same reason we trust you..."  
  
"Because I'm a lady?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Yes," Aragorn said. Gimli snorted, but Boromir set to correct the man's mistake.  
  
"Whether Aragorn is a lady, I do not know, but as for myself, I most certainly am not," he said arrogantly.  
  
The woman stared at him. "Chauvinism fits you well," she said vaguely, "Do you believe women inferior to men?"  
  
Boromir snorted impertinently and leaned back against the tree behind him.  
  
The lady let her arrow fly, grazing the hair on Boromir's right ear. "I advise you to not underestimate me..." she said quietly, then faced the group. Aragorn opened his mouth to speak, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Legolas stepped forward. "Hello, Rae...." he said quietly. The rest watched her as her eyes, the color of a frozen blue-green stream, widened, brighter than ever before. Her breathing quickened, and she raised a hand to her mouth, the other entwined nervously in her knee-length black hair, the sun catching it giving it an almost blue sheen. Suddenly she swooned, and fell to the ground like a fallen angel.  
  
The entire group rushed to help her, but Aragorn carried her limp, unconscious figure back to the courts where she was immediately laid to rest. Eventually though, it was time for dinner, and the majority of the Fellowship took to the table, as she had not awoken yet, nor shown any signs of doing so in the near future, so only she, Legolas, and Aragorn were left in the room.  
  
"Do you know her?" Aragorn asked Legolas once the others were gone. Legolas held onto her hand, rubbing it slowly in his own. He thought for a moment about the reaction she had made when she had seen him. She seemed frightened, excited, horrified, and shocked. How was he to define the true meaning?  
  
Then she stirred for the first time, her eyelashes fluttered, and her stunning eyes opened. She looked at Aragorn. "Where am I?" she asked softly.  
  
"We brought you to the place where Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn call home, in the forest of Lothlorien."  
  
"Lothlorien..." she said thoughtfully.  
  
"Yes," he said, "If you would like to eat, we can have some food brought for you."  
  
"No..." she said in a dreamy voice, "I'm fine..." she seemed to be in a daze. Everything she said sounded as though she were far off, and her eyes had a indistinguishable glimmer to them. She tried to sit up against the pillow she was propped up against, then fell back against it. "I have no strength... what happened?"  
  
"You fainted, milady," Aragorn said softly. "You only need rest, you will have your strength back soon..." his voice was soothing to the ear, and calmed her peacefully.  
  
"Aragorn," came the voice of Pippin from nearby, "The Lady Galadriel requests your presence immediately."  
  
Aragorn stood, nodded to Legolas, and left with Pippin.  
  
The girl became aware of the placement of her hand in Legolas's. She first looked at hers, then at Legolas's, wrapped around it, then slowly her gaze shifted to his face. She stared at him for a moment, a strange look of musing reflected on her fair features.  
  
I have not forgotten you, his voice echoed in her head. Raeolynn...  
  
A streak of pain flitted across her face, settling in her eyes. He could not read her emotions as well as he could read those of others. Something about her was particularly guarded and hard to understand. She had a certain aura of mystery about her, and often left any one in her company immersed within it, unable to get out.  
  
"Meldir..." she squeezed his hand, and closed her eyes. A single, glittering tear escaped her.  
  
[meldir-friend, male... mellon is gender free I believe. If I'm wrong, please correct me!]  
  
"Sleep little one. You will feel better in the morning..." he wiped the tear away and then stood up to follow Aragorn.  
  
"Don't leave me!" she cried. He was immediately at her side. She sobbed into her pillow, "Don't leave me again..."  
  
He put his arms around her and let her cry into his shoulder. He stroked her long black hair, reminiscing about better times that were not so different, but less stressful and dangerous and time consuming. It was enough to drive a person mad. Of course, he enjoyed the adventure, but it did get tiring and the danger was not always so welcoming. Often he would wish, as anyone would, that things would go back to being at peace. It was at this moment, while he mulled over the many thoughts in his head, that he realized that the girl had fallen asleep, her eyes were closed softly and she seemed to be at peace. He laid her back against the pillow and stoked her cheek one last time before returning to his companions.  
  
They had all taken a seat round a roaring fire. The men were resting thoughtfully against the trees that sprouted up fron the ground, finding comfort in their large roots. Aragorn looked slightly more calm than Boromir, who seemed to be imagining what would come of Gondor should he fail, he had gripped his sword tightly in its sheath and did not give one the impression that he would be releasing it at any time in the near future with his grimacing expression.  
  
The hobbits, including Frodo, were singing the songs of the Shire from whence the hailed and the dwarf appeared to be attempting to sing along, though his talent was rough and his familiarity with the songs completely deficient. Legolas smiled to himself, Gimli had a manner of doing that with his strange, dwarf ways, but he was still an all in all pleasant person to be around.  
  
Legolas joined the first, Aragorn, and watched him for a moment before he spoke. "What was it that the Lady desired of you?"  
  
Aragorn smiled wryly. "I know not what she desired but to speak of things that are long, and not so long ago passed. I cannot surmise her meaning, but I believe she was right in doing it."  
  
"Indeed, Galadriel is very wise and not to be doubted. I am sure, my friend, that she knew what she was doing," Legolas said.  
  
Aragorn nodded in agreement, "And how is the girl?" he asked.  
  
"She is asleep," Legolas answered, "and very weak, but she will be better."  
  
Aragorn was silent. "I wonder who she is..." he said more to himself than to Legolas. "What are we going to do with her, once she is well again? Do we take her with us, or do we leave her here in Lothlorien? Do we let her leave?" he looked at his companion for an answer, but Legolas merely sat there. "We cannot leave her here and impose upon this people, and if we let her leave more trouble is bound to befall her and the next time she may not be so lucky with someone whose aim is as unwavering Boromir's," he said with a small laugh.  
  
"Then it seems that our company will be nine once more," Legolas said in finality.  
  
"Yes, my friend, it does."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
****So there is the Prelude to the story. I'm sorry I can't write an entire novel to do that, but I don't have the time Tolkien did! Please review and offer any necessary criticisms, but please, no flaming. In fact, new policy...  
  
****The New Policy- You flame me, I flame you, and believe me you'll get a lot more than a bad review!  
  
****Please Note: Lemon zesters are my weapon of choice.  
  
****Anyways, yes. Please review! How can I help my story if no one reviews? After 5 reviews I will update. (Preferrably one per person!) That's my starting point. It may go up, it may go down. But if no one is reading it I will merely continue on my computer and publish no more, so.... Please review!  
  
All My Love, ok, not ALL of my love, but most of it, ~SweetPoison, or as I prefer to be called...~  
  
Renee ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


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